In preparation for the slew of people who are going to ask me for the recipe (yes, these do taste THAT good), here is what I did:
First off, I love the pumpkin bread recipe from the Joy of Cooking book that I used to own, so I copied it before giving away the book. I used that recipe for the base of these. I think you'll find the recipe here.
Then, you can save yourself the hours of time I spent finding the perfect frosting recipe and just head on over here for a MAPLE SYRUP frosting that is scrumptious! Be sure to look past the cake recipe and just use the frosting recipe. I added an egg so that I'd have more frosting when all was said and done, but I am convinced that changed little in the realm of taste. It is amazing, and, to quote a reviewer, "like a light maple marshmallow." Just the perfect fluff for the top of such a dense pumpkin muffin!
Just for looks, I coated them with cinnamon. This does take some of the yummy maple syrup flavor at least, when you take that first bite of cinnamon, but I think it's perfect. You'll have to decide if you prefer it with or without the cinnamon. :-)
Also to note, I'd recommend doing this on a day that is not hot and humid. If you notice, my frosting is looking a bit *wet.* I would attribute this to the fact that my house is 82 degrees right now and it's raining outside. :-( For them to look the best, I'd recommend doing it in slightly cooler temperatures and no humidity.
There you go! I hope you love them as much as I do! (Oops, did I just confess that I ate some before taking them to the party?!)
